GoPoint Technology GL1 and App: The Top Products of 2010

By using an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch as a window into a car's computer, the GoPoint scan tool and its accompanying app offer the kind of diagnostic info that usually requires a trip to the mechanic to retrieve.

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Sep 27, 2010

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Modern cars rely on sophisticated computers to operate their engines and internal electronics. To access these computers, owners typically need to use a scan tool—a device that can cost thousands of dollars. By using an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch as a window into a car's computer, the GoPoint scan tool and its accompanying app ($100) offer the kind of diagnostic info that usually requires a trip to the mechanic to retrieve. The intuitive interface allows DIYers to view trouble codes, turn off the Check Engine light and monitor every electrical signal that goes through the computer in real time. As a result, consumers can either save a trip to the mechanic or go to the shop armed with information that could protect them from fraud. Need more proof that this is the future of DIY car maintenance? Other software developers are already releasing apps that piggyback on the cable, including one that tracks fuel economy.